Star Crossed
by Ethie-chan
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia has just realized something: she has feelings for her celestial spirit and friend, Loke. What's a girl to do when her love interest is immortal? Can these two star-crossed lovers make this work and fight against all odds just to be together and attain their happy ending?
1. Chapter 1: Realization

A/N: Hiya all! I know..it's been a REALLY long time…4 years maybe? That was the last time I updated a fanfic or done anything online…A thing called life happened and it took a bit to sort out. A lot has happened, in positive ways of course. Now that life has settled a bit, I now have time to resume what I enjoy doing: writing fanfiction and graphic design. I recently started shipping LoLu and had this idea (and a few more regarding this ship) that needed to get out. I think those two are perfect together and would have an interesting relationship, better than NaLu (not that I have anything against NaLu) in my opinion…though GrayLu is good to. It's my first fanfic in 4 years, so I hope you all enjoy it; I have no idea how long this will be, but I do intend to finish it as well as a few other fanfics I started too. So anyone that's still active and following my AsuCaga fanfics on , you will see an update soon.

* * *

A loud explosion followed by a loud rumble. Fire clashed against darkness. Ice clashed against wind. Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza and Wendy were in a heated battle against a very strong dark guild called Soul Eaterz.

"Ice make LANCE!" Gray shouted as a bunch of ice lances appeared and flew towards his opponent.

His opponent smirked as she easily evaded his attack. "I told you, you can't hit me. I'm as light and nimble as air."

It was Gray's turn to smirk and he gave a slight nod towards the back of the sorceress. "I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you."

The woman looked behind, but it was too late. As she evaded his oncoming lances in the beginning, she failed to notice that Gray had altered the trajectory of some of the ice lances; they went around her and struck her from behind. The woman screamed in pain. Two ice blades formed on both his forearms.

"This ends here!" Gray shouted as he charged towards the woman, "ice blade: seven slice dance!"

He rapidly slashed his opponent seven times and landed on the ground as his blades disappeared from his forearms, leaving the woman lying unconscious and injured.

"Wow Gray! That was one cool attack!" Lucy said in awe.

Gray gave her a confident smirk but then his eyes widened in horror. "Lucy!"

Lucy turned in the direction Gray was looking, and her eyes widened in terror.

"Should have paid attention blondie," a burly man said as he was about to impale her with his sword.

The other members of Fairy Tail stopped mid-battle and watched on in horror as their team-mate was about to be struck down by one of the Soul Eaterz members.

"Oh crap…" Lucy muttered as she did the only thing she could do at a time like this: close her eyes and hold her arms up in defense as she screamed.

Suddenly, a burst of light appeared and the man was seen flying in the opposite direction. Wondering why she hasn't died yet, Lucy cautiously opened one eye and instead of seeing that burly man from the dark guild, she saw her friend and celestial spirit.

"Loke!" Lucy said, relief evident in her voice as she was glad he showed up just in time.

Loke dropped his battle stance and turned around, relieved that he had shown up in time.

" _That was really close…"_ he thought to himself and he smiled at his owner, friend and love of his life.

"The power of our love trumps again," he said proudly.

"Not this power of our love stuff again…" Lucy muttered and sighed, trying to ignore her rapidly beating heart, " _why must he always affect me like this?_ "

She looked at her savior and smiled regardless. "Thanks Loke. If you hadn't shown up when you did, I would have been a goner."

"Think nothing of it beautiful," he replied and smiled.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat. She's seen his smiles multiple times and could always tell that those were for picking up girls. But for some reason, this smile was sincere and she could tell it was meant only for her and her alone.

" _Has his smiles always been like this?"_ She unconsciously continued staring at Loke, leaving Loke worried. He walked towards her and kneeled in front of her.

"Hey Lucy, are you alright?" he asked in concern.

Lucy blinked as she realized she had been staring longer than she intended. She didn't realize their close proximity to one another either. Lucy felt her cheeks heat up and she backed away slightly.

"I-I'm fine," Lucy managed to say, trying very hard not to let Loke's closeness affect her.

She looked up to see Loke's smiling face as he offered to help her up. She smiled and took his hand. He pulled her up in one swift motion. The two stood there, smiling. They were completely unaware of a certain blue furball, who was sporting a huge grin, fly towards them.

"Look at the _cuuute_ couple," Happy cooed as he flew above them in circles, "Lucy loooves Loke! Loke loooves Lucy! Lucy loooves—"

"Shut it cat or I'll rip your wings off!" Lucy shouted to the annoying exceed flying above them.

"Regulus Impact!" Loke shouted.

A glowing ball of light formed around his fist, which then collided with Happy, sending the exceed flying in the direction he originally came from.

"Loke! You didn't have to do that," Lucy said and sighed, _"although I am very grateful for that.."_

"I did it for you, Lucy," Loke said and he draped an arm casually over her shoulder, "you cannot deny that that was getting on your nerves."

Lucy blushed at the sudden contact, but tried her best not to let his closeness affect her. "You're right Loke, thank you. But you do know what will happen next."

She nodded towards a cloud of dust rushing towards them.

"LOKE!" an angry voice yelled in the distance.

Lucy sighed, "Looks like Happy told on you."

"I guess it can't be helped," he said as he removed his arm from Lucy and prepared himself for the incoming hot-headed fire dragon slayer.

Lucy pouted slightly when Loke moved away from her. Before she could let her heart sink deeper, she caught herself and shook her head, trying to clear her mind. _"Wait a minute! What am I thinking here?"_

Thankfully , Natsu arrived, albeit angry though. Fire surrounded his fists and one could swear that angry flames were dancing in his eyes as well. Behind him was a very upset Happy.

"Loke! How dare you hurt Happy!" Natsu shouted angrily.

Loke shrugged, "Well it couldn't be helped Natsu. Your little friend of yours was being a bit excessive."

"You still didn't have to hit me," Happy cried from behind Natsu.

"Yeah!" Natsu agreed, "come on! You'll pay for hurting Happy!"

Loke gave his arms a good stretch, "It's been a while since I've had a good brawl. Give me your best shot Natsu."

"Loke!" Lucy shouted. She didn't want her friends to fight one another, especially after their battle with a powerful dark guild, "just leave it alone. This is totally unnecessary!"

He flashed her his most dazzling, yet reassuring smile, leaving Lucy speechless. "It's okay gorgeous. This won't take too long. We'll be fine."

"Alright, Fire Dragon ROAR!" Natsu shouted and a raging fire came out of his mouth.

Loke dodged it with ease. "The zenith of Regulus…Lion Brilliance!"

A blinding light surrounded Loke and the rest of the surroundings, leaving all those on the battlefield shielding their eyes. He came at Natsu with a glowing kick, which Natsu blocked easily.

"You know, even though I can't see you," Natsu said and smirked, "I can smell you. Fire Dragon Talon!"

His flaming foot collided with Loke in the stomach, sending Loke flying a few feet in the opposite direction.

"Loke!" Lucy shouted with worry.

Loke stopped himself mid-air and light surrounded his fist, "Regulus Impact!"

An image of a lion engulfed in light emerged from his fist and struck its target head on. Lucy continued watching the two fight, wondering how it all led to this and what a waste of time and magic it was. A hand landed gently on her shoulder. Lucy turned to see who it was.

"Gray.."

"Let them be," Gray said, "you know how hot-headed Natsu is. And Loke could use the exercise. It's been a while since I've seen him enjoy himself like that."

Lucy looked at her lion celestial spirit and smiled. _"He's right. Loke looks like he is enjoying himself."_

Loke looked at Lucy and returned a smile back, leaving the girl blushing slightly and her heart beating a million miles per minute. _"Okay…something's not right here…d-don't tell me..."_

As she continued watching Loke, a thought had suddenly occurred to her. _"I think I…I think I may be in love with Loke!"_


	2. Chapter 2: Off the Market

"I have to say Loke," Natsu said excitedly, "it's been a while since I've been all fired up like that."

"I have to agree," the celestial spirit replied, "I miss the brawls we had back in Fairy Tail."

"You should come back from time to time, Loke," Gray said as he reminisced the times they shared together before the truth about Loke was revealed, "you're still one of us."

"I'll consider it," Loke replied, smiling.

After Natsu and Loke's heated brawl, the Fairy Tail mages made their way back to the guild hall. Lucy watched as Loke happily talked to Natsu and Gray, catching up on things he's missed while being in the celestial spirit world. Loke looked back to check on the girls that were behind them and his eyes met Lucy's. He smiled warmly at her, leaving the young woman blushing like a shy school-girl. She turned away, making sure Loke couldn't see her blushing cheeks.

" _I'm really glad she didn't turn me down on my offer…even though she wanted to reschedule, she still didn't say no…"_ he thought to himself as he continued walking with the guys.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _An hour had passed since Loke and Natsu began their battle. Both of them could go on for another hour or more, however, Natsu could feel his magic energy reaching its limit. He wasn't sure about Loke, but he definitely wasn't going to admit defeat until the lion spirit apologized to Happy. He looked at his opponent; he could tell that Loke had taken quite a bit of damage. He himself had taken quite a bit too. Natsu had no idea Loke was this strong, even more so ever since his return back to the celestial spirit world. He smirked._

" _You've gotten stronger huh Loke?" he asked his opponent, "I like this side of you."_

" _My true power as a celestial spirit had awoken the moment Lucy became my master," Loke said and smirked, "I'm not the same Loke you once knew back in the guild."_

 _Loke dodged a fireball and sent another Regulus Impact towards the fire dragon slayer. He glanced over at Lucy, who was watching the ongoing battle with worry._

" _However, I don't want to waste what magic energy I have left on this battle…I want to spend some time with Lucy and maybe…confess my feelings to her…I was really close to losing her earlier…" Loke thought to himself as he dodged another fireball from Natsu, "I guess I must concede and give that hot head what he wants…"_

" _Hey Natsu!" he shouted._

" _Yeah what is it?" Natsu asked, maintaining his battle stance._

" _I'm sorry for hitting Happy. It was really uncalled for."_

 _The flames in Natsu's fists dissipated as he dropped his battle stance. The pink-haired dragon slayer grinned, "That's all I wanted to hear!"_

 _He ran towards his blue exceed and gave him a hug. "See Happy? I told you I'd get you justice!"_

" _Thanks Natsu!" Happy replied happily._

 _While the two friends celebrated their victory, Loke went to join Lucy, who was relieved that the fight was over._

" _Sorry gorgeous," Loke said, "I couldn't win a victory."_

 _Lucy shook her head. "It's okay, I didn't care who won as long as none of my friends got hurt."_

" _That's my Lucy," he said and smiled warmly at her, "always caring for others."_

 _Lucy smiled back, but then that smile turned to concern when she saw Loke collapse._

" _Loke!"_

 _She kneeled beside him, looking at him with worry. "Are you alright?"_

 _The celestial spirit looked at his owner and gave her a weak smile. "I'm alright. I think I just used a little too much of my magic."_

" _Here, let me close your gate so you can return to the celestial spirit world and heal," she gently told him as she pulled out his gate key._

 _He put his hand over the hand holding his key and gently pushed it back towards her. He shook his head and Lucy looked at him with confusion and panic._

" _Loke what are you doing?" she inquired with worry, "if you don't go back to the celestial world before your magic depletes, you'll-"_

" _I'll be fine, Lucy. I just need to rest a bit," he said reassuringly, then blushed lightly as he said shyly, "b-besides, I…I kind of want…to spend some time with you…"_

" _Well that sounded pathetic…" Loke thought to himself, "I've never once stuttered or sounded unsure of myself in front of a woman…"_

 _He looked at Lucy, still blushing slightly and eyes looking hopeful that she'll say yes. Lucy looked at her spirit and friend, unsure of what to say or do in a situation like that. Plus, she still doubted her feelings for Loke. She knew of his playboy ways and swore to herself she'd never fall for a guy like that. Yet, whenever he looked at her or smiled warmly at her, she couldn't stop her heart from rapidly beating or her cheeks from heating up whenever they were physically close. As of right now, Lucy couldn't resist the look on Loke's face and she honestly felt excited that he wanted to spend some time with her. But first, she had to be sure of her feelings before she got too carried away with them and got hurt. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves._

" _Can we schedule that for another day? I'm feeling pretty tired after today's events and could really use the rest," she asked, without sounding like she was turning him down, which was not her intention._

 _Loke smiled, "As you wish. Just call me when you're ready."_

" _Thank you Loke, for understanding," Lucy said, "do you want to return to the spirit world and rest then?"_

 _He shook his head. "I'm okay, really. Besides, I feel I should pay the guild a visit. It has been a while."_

 _Lucy frowned, but conceded. If Loke says he's okay, then he's okay. She stood up and held out her hand._

" _Here, let me help you up."_

 _Loke smiled and gratefully took her hand as she helped him up. "Thanks Lucy."_

 _She returned a smile and called out to the others, telling them that they should head back to the guild hall after collecting their reward._

 _ **End flashback**_

" _Stupid Loke…why must he be so damn gorgeous when he smiles like that…"_ she thought, _"wait a minute, what am I thinking? Have a really fallen that hard for him?"_

As Lucy was having a mental battle with herself, Erza and Wendy couldn't help but notice how the celestial spirit mage was acting differently than how she was earlier when they had first set out on their mission.

"Is Lucy alright?" Wendy asked the requip mage, making sure Lucy couldn't hear their conversation.

"I'm not sure…" Erza replied, "but if my intuition is right, I'm betting it has something to do with Loke."

"Loke? What's he got to do-" Wendy started, but then her eyes widened in realization, "do you think Lucy might have feelings for him?"

Erza nodded. "It looks that way, but it seems she's still denying it to herself."

"Poor Lucy…" Wendy said sadly, "I wish we could do something to help."

"I'll think of something, don't worry," Erza said with determination.

* * *

Upon arrival in Magnolia, Loke was immediately swarmed by his fangirls. He inwardly sighed and cursed himself for creating such a big fan-base for himself; he never meant for it to get out of hand. Back then, it served as a distraction for himself, to keep his mind off of his guilt for Karen's death and to pass the time while he waited to die. Now, he has a second chance at life and someone to live for. He glanced at Lucy and he could tell she was uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting and he certainly didn't want to give Lucy the wrong impression; he wanted her to see that he is no longer the same playboy she first met.

"Now now ladies," he said calmly, "I know how much you all want a piece of me, but unfortunately, I am no longer available. You see…"

He looked over at Lucy and gave her a smile, leaving the young blonde blushing and gazing down at her feet; she didn't want Loke to see how his smiles caused her to react.

"…my heart belongs to another," he continued, "I offer you all my sincerest apologies and I hope you will support me on my quest to winning the heart of the brightest star of my life."

The women around him were saddened by his sudden declaration, but then they each gave him their individual support. Some even mentioned that he could come to them if it didn't work out. Loke thanked them and said his farewells. The group then continued making their way to the guild hall.

Once they arrived at Fairy Tail, they were welcomed by a chair flying towards them. Everyone ducked and laughed.

"Some things never change…" Loke said.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it Loke?" Natsu asked.

"Sure does…" he answered, feeling nostalgic.

"Hey gramps! Look who decided to come visit!" Natsu shouted as he ran off to find the guild master.

Gray and Loke followed, leaving the girls to find a calm place to sit and chat amongst themselves. As the two young men followed Natsu, Gray gave a quick glance at Loke. He felt Gray's eyes on him briefly and gave him a questioning glance.

"What's wrong, Gray?" the lion spirit asked, "you're looking at me like I've grown two heads or something."

"It's nothing," the ice mage replied, "it's just I've never seen you turn down women like that. For all the years I've known you, you never turned down a single woman. Why the sudden change man?"

Loke sighed. His friend was quite observant. "It's Lucy…"

"Lucy? What's she got to do-" Gray started but then caught on, "you're really serious about her aren't you?"

"Indeed I am. All these other women just don't appeal to me anymore. I didn't mean for it to get out of hand and make a playboy name for myself," Loke said and shook his head.

"I guess Lucy's done a number on you," Gray said and smiled, "in a good way of course."

"Yeah…but I have a lot to do to show Lucy that I only have eyes for her. Granted, I cant help my gentlemanly charms and all, but I want her to know I'm serious about her."

"Well you've made a good start. All that's left is for you to start showing her how serious you are. I wish you all the best man, but if you hurt her in any way, I'll be sure to freeze your ass and send you back to the spirit world."

The air around them began to get cold as Gray's hand began to emit ice particles. Loke chuckled nervously.

"Wow Gray, I had no idea you were that protective of Lucy," he said.

"She's like a sister to me, a part of the family," Gray stated, "I'd hate to see her get hurt, especially by a spirit she cherishes."

Loke smiled and placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "You've got nothing to worry about, Gray. I promise I won't hurt her, but instead be there for her and protect her with my life."

"Good on you man," Gray said, "now let's find gramps before Juvia realizes we're back."

Loke laughed. "She's still the same isn't she? You should really consider giving her a chance."

Gray blushed lightly and shook his head. "No."

"Why not?" Loke asked, "she's cute and she's pretty strong. Oh and let's not forget that she's totally devoted to you too."

"Yeah…she is…" Gray started and his cheeks turned redder when he realized what he was doing.

He stormed off in a hurry, not wanting Loke to see his face and tease him further about it. "Come on Loke! We don't have all day!"

Loke laughed and shook his head, thinking how obvious it was that his friend was into the water mage, but kept denying it. He ran to catch up with Gray and the two continued their search for the guild master.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the main area of the guild hall, Lucy, Erza and Wendy were sitting near the bar chatting amongst themselves. They were sharing some appetizers that Mirajane had made.

"Mira! These are delicious!" Lucy exclaimed enthusiastically, "just what I needed after a day like today."

"Indeed," Erza agreed as she helped herself to some more, "you've really outdone yourself."

Mirajane approached their table, drink tray in hand. She placed each drink down for everyone.

"Why thank you," she said as she placed the last drink in front of Lucy, "and there you are Lucy. One pineapple ginger mojito as requested."

"Thanks Mira," Lucy said gratefully and she took a long, slow sip of her drink, then sighed in content.

"Something must really be bothering you, Lucy…you rarely drink alcohol.." Wendy said as Mirajane went to put away the dirty dishes and tray.

"Huh?" Lucy asked, feigning confusion, "nothing's the matter. Just had a long day is all. With me almost getting killed and fighting one of the toughest dark guilds, it's enough to warrant a nice drink to relax."

"I couldn't agree more with that statement!" a voice shouted excitedly as the owner of the voice approached their table.

"C-Cana!" Wendy said and immediately grabbed her nose to ward off the alcoholic scent that was coming off of their fellow guildmate. _"I hate having such a sensitive nose!"_

Lucy smiled uneasily. She knew her friend enjoyed drinking alcohol, but sometimes she overdid it. Despite her drunken behaviour and antics, Cana was still a good friend. However, she couldn't help but worry what Cana was thinking. Whenever she was drunk, nothing good usually came from it.

"Cana!" Erza said sternly, "it's not even the end of the day yet and you're already drunk? Have you no shame?"

"I-I'm not drunk Erzie," Cana stammered as she sat down between Erza and Lucy, "I may be tipsy, but I'm not that out of it."

"E-Erzie?" the requip mage asked to no one in particular.

Erza and the others watched as Cana gradually lay her head down onto the table. Light snoring could soon be heard coming from her.

"Looks like she passed out," Mirajane said as she joined the others at the table.

"I don't know how she can handle so much alcohol…" Wendy mused aloud.

"Think it runs in the family," Erza stated, thinking back to all the times Guildarts drank and how much liquor he could hold.

Cana suddenly stood up, startling everyone at the table.

"I've got a wonderful idea!" she shouted.

The girls looked at the card mage with hesitation. They were weary about Cana's idea; a drunk Cana usually had terrible ideas.

"Let's have a sleepover tonight!" Cana shouted excitedly.

Everyone blinked, surprised at the idea. Lucy's eyes sparkled with excitement. She hadn't had a sleepover in ages. The other girls nodded in approval.

"You know…" Erza mused, "I've never been to a sleepover before…I approve this idea."

Cana pumped a fist in the air. "Alright! Sleepover at Lucy's!"

Everyone else followed suit and cheered, but then Lucy's eyes widened as she realized the situation.

"W-wait a minute," Lucy said disapprovingly, "why at my place?!"

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Wow...this was one long chapter...I had other plans for this chapter, but then it got so long (5 pages!). I did half of it on my phone lol. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it :)_


	3. Chapter 3: Girls Night

_A/N: Hey all! So sorry for the super late update to this fic. I finally bring you chapter 3 =D Please enjoy!  
_

* * *

After unsuccessfully convincing everyone to have the sleepover elsewhere, Lucy Heartfilia conceded defeat and accepted her fate as the hostess of this slumber party. She left the guild hall and went home to clean up her place. Luckily, she was generally a neat and tidy person and considering that she lived alone, it didn't take her too long to get things organized.

"There, all finished," Lucy said proudly as she placed a vase of fresh flowers on the coffee table, "now to go get some groceries. But first…"

She pulled out one of her golden gate keys. "Open Gate of the Sea Goat, Capricorn!"

A golden light appeared and when it vanished, it left a white bipedal goat dressed in a butler suit. He bowed to his master.

"How may I be of service today m'lady?" the goat spirit asked.

"Capricorn," Lucy said, "I have some errands I need to tend to and I need you to guard my house for me from some… _unwanted guests_."

"The dragon slayer and his cat friend, am I correct?" Capricorn asked.

Lucy nodded. "Bingo! I'm having a get together tonight with some girl friends of mine and I just cleaned and organized the place and I'd hate for all my hard work to go to waste, if you know what I mean."

"Understood, m'lady," Capricorn said as he bowed, "may I use force if necessary?"

Lucy hesitated, but she trusted Capricorn and knew he wouldn't make things a mess; he was too orderly and good mannered. And he was perfect for the job to keep Natsu and Happy out: he was strong and he could take care of them without leaving a trail of destruction.

"Yes, but only if necessary," Lucy said as she put on her shoes, "well then, I'm off."

"Be safe, m'lady," Capricorn said and bowed. 

* * *

Lucy closed the door behind her and made her way towards the store. She took her usual route, walking on the ledge by the river.

"Be careful!" a man on a boat shouted at her.

Lucy waved at the man, letting him know that she will be fine. While she walked, she thought about the days recent events and her startling realization of her feelings for Loke. She wondered when she developed feelings for the celestial spirit and what she was going to do about them; she wasn't even sure if a spirit and a human can be together. He was immortal, she was not. From her history lessons about celestial beings, she couldn't recall any cases where a contracted spirit and the owner fell in love. She couldn't recall anything about a spirit and a human being together through her magic history lessons or anything from the history books she has read. That was her main concern: she was unsure if a human falling in love with her contracted spirit was considered taboo and if it was, what would happen to Loke? Would he be punished by the celestial spirit king if he and her were to be together? Would she be forced to void their contract and never see him again? Lucy rubbed her temples, trying to keep a headache at bay.

 _"This is all so complicated…"_ she thought to herself, _"how on earth did I wind up in such a predicament? Why did I fall for that playboy?"_

"Something the matter, princess?" a voice asked, startling Lucy from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry!" another voice quickly apologized.

Lucy looked to her left and then her right. "Virgo! Aries! I didn't summon you two."

"It's okay, princess," Virgo replied, "I came on my own accord and brought Aries with me. You may punish me of course."

Lucy smiled uneasily and held her hands in front of her. "N-no, there's no need for that Virgo."

"Aquarius actually sent us," the timid lamb spirit said, "she said you'll need someone to talk to."

"Aquarius?" Lucy asked with surprise, "why would she…oh…"

Lucy looked at her two celestial spirit friends and mentally thanked Aquarius. Even though the water bearer spirit was harsh to her at times, she knew Lucy the best. Aquarius must have known that this was going to happen and figured Lucy might want someone to talk to.

"So you and big brother huh?" Virgo asked, bringing Lucy back to reality.

Lucy blushed. "H-how did you know that this has something to do with Loke?"

"I've seen how you are together," Virgo said matter-of-factly, "it was bound to happen sooner or later."

Aries nodded in agreement. "I know Loke comes off as a playboy to you Lucy, but he genuinely cares for you and is serious about his feelings for you. Back in our world, he keeps telling us how much he wishes he could come visit you more, not just to aid you with missions and stuff. He hates how time is different between our worlds and is always worried something will happen to you. One day in the spirit world is like 3 months in your world. A lot can happen in a few days our time."

Lucy pondered that fact. She remembered Virgo revealing that time difference before the Grand Magic Games, where Team Natsu lost three months of valuable training time. Aries was right though, a lot can happen in three months time. It made Lucy's heart sink even further, reminding her that Loke was a celestial spirit and she a human being. Their worlds were completely different from one another.

"Princess," Virgo said softly, snapping Lucy back to reality, "you know, everything will work out."

She looked at the maiden spirit with sad eyes and shook her head. "I appreciate your confidence and kind words, but this matter is more complicated than you think."

"Lucy," Aries said, making Lucy turn towards her, "I know I can't tell you what to do in your life and I know you still have some uncertainty towards Loke, but I want you to really think about what you want, especially what your heart wants. We all care for you Lucy and we all want you to be happy."

"Aries…" Lucy said, suddenly wanting to hug her ram spirit friend.

"Besides…" Virgo said with a mischievous grin, "you and big brother make quite a _cuuutte_ couple."

Lucy sent Virgo a death glare and held out Virgo's key, clearly mock-threatening the maiden spirit that she will force close her gate. "I don't need another Happy, Virgo."

"My apologies princess," Virgo said seriously, "I retract my earlier comment."

The three young women looked at one another and laughed. Lucy loved her spirit friends and she was glad Aries and Virgo came out to keep her company. She needed a distraction and after hearing what Aries had said earlier, it made her think about what she really wanted. However, she didn't have time for that at the moment; she had to get some shopping done for tonight's gathering. She looked at her two spirit friends, an idea forming in her head.

"Well, while you two are out, do you want to accompany me to the market and maybe a few stores?" Lucy asked.

"I'd be honoured," Virgo said with a bow, "as punishment for coming on my own accord."

Lucy laughed nervously. _"Seriously…what's with her and punishments?"_

"N-now now Virgo, there isn't a need for that. It's just something fun I thought we'd all enjoy doing together," Lucy said and turned to Aries, "what about you? Would you like to join us?"

"I-if it's alright," the lamb spirit said shyly.

"Of course it is, Aries!" Lucy said reassuringly, "you're my friend, just like everyone else."

The timid lamb spirit nodded. "Then of course I'd love to come!"

Lucy smiled. She really loved her spirits, each and every one of them. The two spirits followed their master and accompanied her on her errands, each helping Lucy out in their own way and also enjoying themselves at the same time. 

* * *

Upon returning home, Lucy was pleased to see that there was no damage whatsoever to her home. Capricorn notified her that Natsu and Happy did attempt to come in, but he managed to take care of it without much trouble. When asked what he did, Capricorn simply smiled evilly before taking his leave. Lucy shuddered at what Capricorn may have said to Natsu and Happy to convince them to leave, but she shrugged it off; whatever Capricorn did, it worked and that was all that mattered to Lucy. She unpacked all the groceries she got and placed them in the fridge. She also had a little time to go shopping for herself, which was much needed. It had been a while since she splurged on herself and given she actually had money for once, she thought some retail therapy was needed. Lucy opened her shopping bag and pulled out a few cute short and long-sleeved tops, some jeans and shorts and an adorable sundress. She looked at each one as she laid them on her bed.

"I wonder what Loke will think of these…" she wondered aloud.

Lucy's cheeks suddenly went red as she realized what she had just said. She slapped both her cheeks with the palms of both hands.

"Come on Lucy…get a hold of yourself. You sound like you two are already dating," she scolded herself.

She sighed and placed her new purchases in the hamper to wash the next time she has free time and then went to go change into something more comfortable. When she finished changing, the doorbell rang and she went to go answer it, mentally preparing herself for the upcoming evening.

"Cana, Mira!" Lucy said as enthusiastically as she could, "welcome!"

"Thank you for having us," Mirajane said politely as she let herself in.

"Yeah, Lucy. Thanks," Cana joined in after she walked in, placing two large barrels of alcohol down.

"I-it's nothing," Lucy replied. _"Like I had a choice…"_

She glanced at the two barrels and looked at Cana.

"Really Cana?" Lucy asked In exasperation, "do we really need that much alcohol?"

"Come on Luce," Cana replied enthusiastically, "it ain't a sleepover without any booze."

Mirajane giggled and Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Alright, but please keep the noise level to a minimum and don't destroy the place," Lucy said seriously.

"I won't hold any promises," Cana mock-saluted.

Lucy sighed when she noticed a kind hand on her shoulder. She looked at its owner with worried eyes.

"Don't worry Lucy," Mirajane said, "I'll make sure she's good."

"Thanks Mira."

The two guests went to seat themselves on the couch. Lucy entered the living area shortly with some snacks and drinks. The doorbell rang again and she went to go answer it.

"Hey Lucy!" Wendy and Levy greeted as they walked in, with Carla flying in tow.

"Thank you for having us," Lisanna said as she followed Wendy.

"Yes, thanks," Evergreen said shortly after.

"Hey, where's Erza?" Lucy asked the group that just walked in.

"She said she said she'll be arriving later," Wendy replied.

"Huh..with this being Erza's first sleepover, I thought she'd be the first one here," Lucy mused aloud as she closed the door.

"Who knows," Evergreen said and shrugged.

The new arrivals and Lucy went to join Mirajane and Cana in Lucy's living room. Lucy went to go get more drinks for everyone, when the doorbell rang again. She placed the drinks on the table and went to answer the door.

"Juvia," Lucy greeted upon opening the door, "come on in."

"Love rival," the water mage said in response as she let herself in.

Lucy sighed. She was getting tired of Juvia thinking that she had a thing for Gray; she and Gray were just really good friends, that was all. But the water mage still wouldn't let it go. She was about to close the door when she heard the sounds of someone struggling. Lucy stuck her head out the door and her jaw dropped.

"E-Erza!?" she shouted incredulously, "why do you have so much stuff?"

Erza managed to drag her huge cart of personal belongings to Lucy's door. She wiped her forehead and smiled in triumph.

"It's for the sleepover tonight," Erza said simply, "why, is something wrong with it?"

She narrowed her eyes at Lucy, leaving the blonde laughing nervously.

"N-no, not at all Erza…please, come on in."

The requip mage smiled and looked at the door. "Well I think I'll have to unload everything and bring it inside. This cart is just too big."

Shaking her head, Lucy sighed. _"Ya think, Erza?"_

"Is everyone here?" Erza asked.

"I think so…though I'm not sure who was invited to be honest," Lucy said sheepishly. _"I wasn't the one doing the inviting after all!"_

"Good. Everyone that's inside!" Erza yelled in a commanding tone, "come and give me a hand."

And with that, everyone present came out to assist the requip mage. Individual murmurs of "so much stuff!" and "does she need all this?" could be heard. Erza couldn't care less about what others thought; this was her first sleepover and truth be told, she was very excited about it. Being orphaned at a young age and spending the majority of her childhood enslaved in the Tower of Heaven, Erza never had a chance to enjoy her childhood or do things like attend sleepovers. She smiled to herself and headed inside. Lucy went out to grab the last remaining suitcase, but before she went inside, she decided to take one last look at the night sky. It was beautiful and she could see a few of the zodiac constellations. One bright star caught her attention and she knew what constellation that star belonged to. She unconsciously smiled, thinking of a certain ginger-haired spirit before stepping back into her home. 

* * *

"Alright! Now that everyone's here, let's get this party started!" Cana shouted enthusiastically, "let's start with some drinking games!"

The card mage began filling up some glasses with alcohol and handed them to everyone that was present. Cana even gave a glass to Wendy, who took the glass with hesitation.

"You cannot drink child," Carla reprimanded the young dragon slayer, "you're far too young for that."

Cana draped an arm casually over Wendy's shoulder. "Oh come on Carla, let the poor girl have some fun. Besides, a little bit won't hurt her."

"Don't worry Carla," Wendy said, "I'll be fine. I'll be careful."

The white exceed crossed her arms and huffed. "Don't expect me to take care of you then if you wind up drunk."

"Oh Carla," Cana said as she handed the white exceed a glass, "loosen up. Would it kill you to have a little fun once in a while?"

Carla sighed and shook her head, while still accepting the glass from Cana. The card mage smirked in triumph.

"Alright everyone!" she shouted, "let's start off by downing our entire glass! Last one to finish will have to do a double shot!"

 _"D-double shot?!"_ Wendy thought to herself in panic, _"I don't even know if I can handle this one!"_

Lucy glanced around at everyone in the room, then looked at her glass. She shrugged and gave in. _"May as well enjoy myself tonight."_

"Everyone ready?" Cana asked and looked at everyone, "3, 2, 1! Down the hatch!"

Everyone drank their glass as fast as they could. Cana finished hers first, followed by Mirajane, Evergreen and Erza. Lucy and Juvia finished theirs shortly after, followed by Wendy and Lisanna. Carla was the last one to finish her drink.

Cana chuckled evilly as she poured a double shot of vodka. "Alright Carla. This one is yours."

Wendy watched as her friend took the proffered glass and downed the shot like it was no problem. She mentally wondered if Carla did it on purpose to protect her. But then again, she also didn't know that Carla could take a double shot like a champion; it was as if Carla has had alcohol before. Wendy giggled; her white exceed friend wasn't so uptight like she thought.

"What are you laughing at child?" Carla asked indignantly, her cheeks flushed from the amount of alcohol she just had.

"Nothing Carla," Wendy quickly said, trying to hide her amusement, "nothing at all."

"Hmph," she huffed and then suddenly pointed at Cana, "bar maid, another shot!"

Everyone burst out laughing, clearly amused with Carla's behaviour. They always believed that Carla was an uptight, slightly stuck up exceed. However, it seems Carla wasn't as bad as they had thought. The white exceed slammed down another shot, then looked at everyone else.

"Well?" Carla asked, "what is everyone waiting for? Another round bar maid!"

Cana laughed. "Now we're talking."

She poured another round of shots, but gave Wendy a mixed drink. The young dragon slayer smiled at the card mage. "Thanks Cana."

"No problem," Cana replied, "just because I drink a lot doesn't mean I expect a young girl like you to follow in my foot steps."

Wendy agreed and slowly sipped her drink; it wasn't too strong in alcohol and it tasted pretty good. She could drink just that all night.

The slumber party was in full swing once everyone was comfortable and had had a few drinks. Everyone chatted merrily, played some more games and just enjoyed themselves. It has been a while since they could relax like this. Lucy smiled as she watched everyone enjoy themselves. Some were chatting amongst themselves, others were playing card or board games. Even Erza and Evergreen were getting along well. Despite her mind being fogged up from the alcohol, Lucy felt at ease. She watched as Mirajane clinked her glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention.

"Alright everyone," she said and winked, "let's all play truth or dare."

Everyone cheered as they proceeded to form a circle around a glass bottle. Mirajane volunteered to go first and spun the bottle. Lucy watched as the bottle slowly came to a halt, pointing at herself. She was getting tired and didn't feel like doing a dare; Mirajane was the one to issue the dare if she chose that route and she didn't trust what Mira had in mind. Mirajane may look innocent, but she was mischievous and a strong opponent if one were on the wrong side.

"Truth," Lucy simply stated.

"Alright…" Mirajane said, pretending to think of a question, "how do you feel about Loke?"

Lucy's eyes windened, clearly not expecting that question. She thought Mirajane would have asked something about her and Natsu since she always teased Lucy about her and Natsu getting together, but Loke? She did not expect that.

"W-what about him?" Lucy asked, looking down to avoid any eye contact; her cheeks were reddening from the very thought of the male in question.

"Oh you know what I mean," Mirajane said teasingly, "to be honest, I always thought you and Loke would make a cute couple."

"I agree," Cana chimed in, "come on Lucy. Tell us!"

Lucy looked up to see everyone nodding in agreeance. Juvia sat in front of Lucy suddenly; her face being super close.

"Love rival is no longer my love rival?" the water mage asked curiously.

Lucy sighed. "I told you before Juvia, I never had a thing for Gray. I've always considered him one of my closest friends; he's like a brother to me."

Juvia's eyes widened and she squealed with excitement. She then grabbed Lucy's hands and looked her seriously in the eyes. "I will support you 100% Lucy! We must fight for the one we love!"

Lucy just blinked, trying to comprehend what just happened. Levy gave Lucy a little nudge.

"Lucy," she whispered, "we're still waiting on you."

"Oh, umm," Lucy said, fidgeting while trying to find the words she wanted to say, "Loke well…I really don't know."

"Look at your face," Evergreen stated, "it's clearly obvious you're into that playboy."

"He's not a playboy anymore!" Lucy shouted defensively, then covered her mouth with both hands, "sorry…"

Mirajane giggled. "Don't be Lucy. Come on, it's just us. We won't say anything to the guys."

"Not like they'll get it anyways," Evergreen mumbled. The only female member of the Thunder Legion has been trying to get the attention of Elfman, dropping hints here and there, but unfortunately, that man has no brains when it comes to women.

Lisanna heard Evergreen's remark and giggled. "Don't be too harsh Evergreen. My brother may be slow in that department, but I'm sure he feels the same way. He just… doesn't know how to act on his feelings."

"Oh? Evergreen likes big muscular men?" Cana asked, one eye brow raised.

"So? What's wrong with that?" Evergreen retorted.

Cana laughed. "Just never thought you'd go for someone like that."

Mirajane's eyebrow twitched. A dangerous aura could be felt emitting from the Fairy Tail bar maid. She glared at Cana.

"And what's wrong with Elfman?" she asked the card mage dangerously.

"Nothing at all," Cana replied calmly, "he just needs to learn to be more manly when it comes to women. A true man wouldn't run away."

The once innocent and sweet Mirajane disappeared and was replaced with a very angry woman. When it came to her siblings, she usually got defensive if anyone threatened or mocked them in any way. And given that she had a few drinks already, she may be overreacting more than she should be. Mirajane approached the card mage and pointed a finger at her.

"If you dare mock Elfsman, you will pay," Mirajane threatened.

"Oh?" Cana asked, interested in what will happen next, "bring it."

Lisanna quickly stepped in between the two drunk women. "Now, now Mira. You know Cana doesn't mean it."

"Oh hell yeah I do! Come on Mira, show me what you got!" Cana shouted with her card deck in hand.

"Oh no," Lucy muttered, "I'm so going to have no home…"

Erza placed a reassuring hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Do not worry. Evergreen is with them. She will just petrify them temporarily until the alcohol wears off."

She sent a nod towards the female Thunder Legion member, in which said female nodded in return indicating she got Erza's message.

Lucy sighed. "I hope you're right Erza."

"Anyways," Erza started, trying to change the topic, "I may not be the best at romantic advice, but what I do know is that you shouldn't be afraid of what your heart is telling you."

"And is that why you aren't with Jellal?" Lucy asked curiously, making the requip mage blush lightly.

"Jellal and I…we have a mutual understanding," she replied and smiled.

Looking at Erza, Lucy could tell that Erza was in love with her childhood friend. Despite all that had happened between the two of them, they still cared for one another deeply. They understood one another that no words needed to be said. Lucy could tell right away the moment she witnessed the two exchange a few words back then.

"You're so lucky Erza," Lucy said and sighed, "to have a romance like that…"

"Every romance Is different," Levy quipped, "think about it, Lucy. You've read so many romance novels; you should know not all love stories are the same."

"So are you saying that you and Gajeel have a different love story?" Lucy asked mischievously.

"W-what makes you think I have feelings for that iron head?" Levy stammered, as a bright pink blush started to dust her cheeks.

Lucy giggled. "It's so obvious Levy. Why don't you ask him out? Break the norm and instead of waiting for him. You make the move."

Levy fidgeted. "B-but I don't know if he feels the same. I mean…before he mentioned having kids and…"

The script mage quickly covered her mouth with both hands, but the damage had been done. Lucy, Juvia and Erza looked at her curiously, urging the blunette to continue.

Levy looked down, a sad look crossing her features. "But that…was when he thought he was gonna die with Bloodman…"

Levy thought back to night of their battle with one of the members of the Spriggan 12. She remembered the words the iron dragon slayer had said, the tears in his eyes as he said all that and the feelings she was feeling when she watched him disappear through that portal, believing that he was gone for good. Tears began forming, clouding her vision. She hastily wiped them away.

"Oh Levy..." Lucy said and hugged her friend. She knew her friend was thinking about something that happened in the past.

"I'm alright, Lucy. Really," the script mage replied and forced a weak smile, "that iron head probably didn't mean what he said then."

"But Levy," Wendy chimed in excitedly, a little affected by the alcohol, "I overheard Pantherlily teasing Gajeel about you and him. He was soooo red in the face! Happy joined in chanting his usual love song. Something like, _'Gajeel loooves Levy! Levy loooves Gajeel'_. You should have seen his face Levy!"

Everyone watched as the young sky dragon slayer danced around, chanting the exact same song Happy always sung when he encountered a potential romance. Juvia joined in shortly, chanting along with Wendy.

"Gajeel loooves Levy! Levy loooves Gajeel!"

The script mage looked down and blushed furiously; she was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Lucy looked at her friend and sighed.

"Juvia, Wendy," she said in a commanding tone, causing the two to pause mid-chant, "that's enough."

Wendy and Juvia both sat down and apologized to Levy. Lucy sighed and glanced over to where Cana and Mirajane were. They were both turned to stone; she guessed Evergreen must have stepped in before their fight got serious. The Thunder Legion mage came over and sat down. Lisanna followed shortly after.

"Well, did I miss anything?" Evergreen asked.

"Not particularly," Erza replied and continued munching on the snacks available, "we're just waiting on Lucy to answer the question."

Lucy blushed. _"Great…it all comes back to me."_

All eyes were back on the celestial spirit mage. She knew the answer to the question, but given Loke's history and the fact that he's a celestial spirit that's contracted to her, it made her feel uneasy about pursuing her feelings for the lion spirit.

"It's…complicated…" Lucy managed to finally utter out.

"Come on Lucy," Evergreen said and shrugged, "it's either you like him or don't. How hard can that be?"

"You don't understand…" Lucy said sadly, tears threatening to fall, "Loke's a spirit. An immortal. I'm a human being! It's impossible for us!"

Tears streamed down her face and before Lucy knew it, she let everything she was feeling out. All her emotions just burst from her being. Her guildmates and friends listened intently as the blonde told them everything…from her budding feelings for Loke to the possibility of them never being able to see each other if it was forbidden. Lucy continued to cry after finishing her spiel about her love troubles. Her friends had no idea how complicated the matter was; they had forgotten that Loke was an immortal being bound to the celestial heavens. Erza approached Lucy and embraced her, rubbing her back to try and calm her down.

"There, there," Erza said soothingly, "it's okay."

The blonde pulled away and looked at her friend and the rest of her friends around her. "Thanks Erza. And thank you everyone for listening to my troubles. Now you see why I've been trying to avoid this topic?"

"We do Lucy," Mirajane said and sat down. Cana following shortly after.

"We heard everything. Evergreen's spell wore off just in time for us to hear everything," Cana answered the unasked question Lucy was about to ask.

"But…despite Loke being a spirit," Levy interjected, "I feel you shouldn't miss out on a romantic opportunity."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"That's right Lucy. You should do whatever makes you happy," Wendy said with encouragement, "if Loke makes you happy, I'd say go for it!"

"True love will triumph over every obstacle thrown in your way," Erza said, reflecting on her own love life in the process.

"You should seize the opportunity, Lucy!" Juvia said with excitement. _"Then you can leave Gray alone and I can finally have a chance with him!"_

Lucy looked at the water mage as Juvia muttered to herself about "no more love rival" and "Gray will be mine" and other Gray-related things. She rolled her eyes.

"Look Lucy," Cana said, making Lucy look in her direction, "it may seem complicated right now, but if you and Loke are made for each other, then it will all work out."

Lucy thought about what Cana and everyone else had said. However, despite all the encouragement and positive words, Lucy still felt unsure.

"But…what if Loke and I aren't meant to be? What if…what if…"

Lucy was scared. She was scared that if she took this risk and it didn't work out, what will happen to Loke? What if they weren't meant to be? If they were, was she willing to let Loke live alone forever when her time was up in this world? Was she willing to let him suffer the pain of losing someone precious to him? Was she willing to let him lose her over and over again every time she gets reincarnated? She will have no memory of him each time she gets reborn; will he be okay with that? What if she was reborn as a man? Would he still love her then? So many questions ran through her mind. She rubbed her temples, trying to keep a developing headache at bay. Erza put a supporting hand on her shoulder; Lucy looked her way and hoped that whatever Erza was going to say was going to give her the answer she was looking for.

"Lucy, I know this is a complicated matter, but I feel you should take this chance. I've seen how you and Loke interact and it makes me jealous sometimes," Erza said as she reflected on her interactions with Jellal. She wished they could have the kind of relationship that Lucy and Loke had, "I can tell Loke makes you happy and I want YOU to be happy. I don't want you to live the rest of your life regretting not going after what you want. You can't live your life scared and not taking chances that are worth fighting for. When it comes to matters of the heart, you should seize the opportunity when it's present. You only get one chance at true love and happiness and if it presents itself, you should take it and fight for it. Your heart knows what it wants and you should trust that feeling."

Lucy absorbed all of Erza's words. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself as she listened to her heart. She saw Loke's handsome face, smiling warmly at her and it filled her with a warmth she could not describe. It made her feel at ease and she then knew that this was worth going after and fighting for. For the first time since she discovered her developing feelings for the lion spirit, she finally found the answer she was looking for. Lucy opened her eyes and smiled.

"Thanks everyone; I know what I need to do now," she said with confidence, "let's have another round of drinks to celebrate!"

"I'll drink to that!" Cana shouted as poured another round of drinks for everyone. 

* * *

A few hours later, everyone was asleep in Lucy's living room, either passed out from drinking too much or simply from exhaustion. Lucy was laying in her bed, thinking about everything that has happened thus far. She smiled and she picked up Loke's gate key, gazing at it with affection.

 _"Loke, I will see you tomorrow."_

His key glowed faintly and she could have sworn she felt his warmth emanating from his gate key. Maybe he was thinking about her, like she was thinking about him. Or he heard her thoughts. She shook her head, trying not to think of that possibility. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if Loke could read her thoughts and knew what she was thinking about in regards to him. She giggled at the thought though before placing his key next to heart and slowly drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: The Moment of Truth (Part 1)

Lucy awoke the next morning. Although she was a bit hung over from last night's gathering, she was still in high spirits. Today was the day where she will face Loke and admit and accept her feelings. After hearing everyone's opinions on this matter, Lucy decided that she shouldn't miss out on this opportunity. If this was her one chance at true love, she sure wasn't going to miss out on it. She knew the complications if she went along with it and she was willing to accept them. If Loke and her were meant to be…if the red string of fate has bound them together, then it will all work out, one way or another. She got out of bed and gave her body a good well-deserved stretch.

" _First things first,"_ she thought to herself, _"I need to get everyone out of here so I can clean up this place. I can't continue my day knowing my home is still a mess!"_

She proceeded downstairs to look at the damage. When she saw the state of the lower level of her home, she mentally screamed. Lucy gave herself a few good encouraging pats to the sides of her face.

"Now, now Lucy," she said encouragingly to herself, "you can't let this ruin your day."

She loved her guildmates dearly, each and every one of them. She sometimes couldn't help but wish they were less rowdy and destructive. However, that wouldn't make them Fairy Tail members would it? Lucy began to think of the best and most effective way to wake up her friends and have them leave quickly without a fight. Her eyes widened as an idea dawned on her; she smirked evilly and went to the kitchen to enact her plan.

* * *

"Open, gate of the sea goat, Capricorn!"

"How may I be of service to you today, m'lady?" Capricorn said politely once the golden light disappeared.

"I will let you know in a sec," Lucy replied as she pulled out another golden gate key, "open, gate of the twins, Gemini!"

Another wave of golden light appeared. Once the light dissipated, there were two small creatures, each blue in colour.

"Piri piri!" they both said when they arrived.

"Perfect," Lucy said and looked at Gemini, "Gemini, I need you to transform into Capricorn please."

The twins nodded and transformed into their fellow zodiac spirit. With two Capricorns standing side by side, one couldn't tell which one was the real one. Pleased with her plan so far, she proceeded to relay her plan to her two celestial friends and partners.

"So basically, I need you two to wake up my friends and have them leave peacefully and quickly. Capricorn, you are perfect for this job and if there are two of you, this will definitely work," Lucy said proudly.

"Do you have an idea in mind that you want me to follow," Capricorn asked, "or may I do it my own way?"

Lucy smirked. "I leave that up to you Capricorn."

"As you wish, m'lady," Capricorn said and bowed, then looked at his counterpart, "Gemini, you know what to do."

Gemini, disguised as Capricorn, nodded. Capricorn did not need to relay the plan formulating in his head to Gemini; he knew Gemini's powers and how they worked, thus he was not worried about letting his companion know about his plan.

Lucy looked at her two spirit friends. "Alright, you may proceed!"

The two Capricorns left the kitchen, with Lucy following behind them shortly. She was looking forward to what will unfold next.

* * *

Gemini-Capricorn rang a bell, signalling everyone in the household to wake up. Everyone moaned and groaned, clearly not wanting to get up yet. Capricorn stepped up and clapped his hands.

"Alright everyone!" he shouted, "it's time for magic bootcamp!"

Cana woke up first and yawned. She saw Capricorn and…another Capricorn, each grinning evilly, as if the world was coming to an end. She stared at the two of them, wondering what was going on.

Gemini-Capricorn walked around, clapping his hands to wake everyone.

"Come on, chop chop," he commanded, "we don't have all day!"

Everyone slowly awoke, not pleased to have been woken up in such a manner. They were either hung over or still half-asleep.

"What's going on?" Wendy mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

"Okay, do I have everyone's attention?" Capricorn asked as he looked around, making sure everyone was awake.

Juvia woke up, still half-asleep. Her eyes widened and she blinked a few times, making sure she wasn't imagining things.

"There are two Capricorns!" she shouted.

Everyone looked and saw that there were indeed two Capricorns. They looked at one another, wondering what was going on and why there were two Capricorns.

Gemini-Capricorn stepped forward. "Good. Now that everyone is awake, let's begin."

"Wait a minute. Begin what exactly?" Erza asked.

Gemini-Capricorn smirked. "Magic Bootcamp."

Capricorn stepped forward and looked menacingly down at everyone. "Enough talking, time to begin class!"

"I never signed up for this!" Evergreen shouted angrily, "I'm leaving."

The female member of the Thunder Legion stood up and proceeded to leave. However, she froze when she arrived at the front door. In front of her, stood Gemini-Capricorn.

"B-but how?" Evergreen asked, "you were just in the living room…"

"You forget," a voice started, causing Evergreen to turn around, "there are two of us."

She looked to the door and then behind her. Her face paled; she knew what Capricorn's lessons were like and judging by the looks on both Capricorns' faces, it wasn't going to be a pretty lesson.

She laughed nervously. "You know, as much as I want to partake on this enlightening magic lesson, I unfortunately have a mission to prepare for with the rest of my team. In fact, they are waiting for me outside right now. Ta ta!"

Evergreen quickly bowed in apology and pushed past Gemini-Capricorn and bolted out the door. From the kitchen, Lucy Heartfilia was casually sipping on a cup of coffee as she watched this morning's event unfold. She was clearly enjoying what she was seeing.

Capricorn clapped his hands, gathering everyone's attention in the living room. Gemini-Capricorn arrived shortly and stood beside his counterpart.

"Alright, before we begin," Capricorn said as he looked around the living room, "is there anyone else that needs to leave?"

Everyone looked at each other and they all raised their hands in unison; they didn't want to stick around for whatever the two Capricorns had planned. They all bid their farewells to Lucy and politely apologized to both Capricorns for having to leave before quickly leaving the premises. However, there was only one person left. Erza Scarlet remained seated, waiting for the day's plans to be announced. It was no surprise to Lucy and Capricorn; they suspected Erza would remain. She was a woman that believed there was nothing wrong with improving themselves and was up for any challenge that was thrown her way. Lucy nodded at Capricorn and he knew exactly what to do.

"Ms. Erza, shall we meet at Southgate Park in the afternoon?" asked Capricorn.

Erza figured he needed to summon himself to the area and she simply nodded. "And what about the other Capricorn?"

He glanced at his double. "That won't be necessary."

Gemini-Capricorn reverted to its original Gemini form. "Piri piri!"

"Well done you guys!" Lucy applauded as she stepped out from the kitchen.

She pulled out both Capricorn and Gemini's key and closed their gates. Both Erza and Lucy remained in the living room.

"Sorry Erza…I needed a way to get everyone out quickly and that was my best idea…" Lucy said sheepishly.

Erza chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Lucy. I'm fine with some training with Capricorn. Besides, I'm sure you're planning to meet Loke soon and would like to prepare uninterrupted."

Lucy blushed and nodded. "Thanks Erza, for understanding."

The red-haired requip mage smiled; she was happy that her friend was going to seize the opportunity. She had a good feeling that those two were made to be together, so she had no qualms about Lucy going for it.

"I'm sure everything will work out," Erza said confidently, "but don't forget, I'm always here if Loke ever makes you cry."

Lucy laughed nervously. Even if Loke ever upset her, she would never send Erza to teach him a lesson. However, she appreciated her friend for being there if she ever needed it.

"Thanks Erza."

Erza smiled at her friend. "Now then, I best be off. I await the good news."

"Take care," Lucy said as she escorted her friend out the door.

Once Erza left, Lucy heaved a sigh of relief. Now, it was time to get her place cleaned up before she met up with Loke. She tied her hair up into a messy top-knot and stared at the task at hand. With some mental encouragement, Lucy began to clean up the aftermath of last night's sleepover.

* * *

It took Lucy 2.5 hours to return her home to its former glory. She decided to have a nice relaxing bath after all the hard work she had just done. She also needed to calm her nerves; Lucy was feeling rather nervous about seeing Loke later. Before she realized her feelings, she was never nervous around him and she found him rather annoying. But deep down, she knew she enjoyed his company, his praises and compliments. She just never wanted to acknowledge it because she was scared and didn't trust or believe him due to his playboy nature. Now that she was aware of her feelings, she couldn't help but feel nervous around him. After her soak in the tub, she rinsed off and proceeded to dry her hair and apply her skin care products. She then went to her closet to choose an outfit for the day. After rummaging through her entire wardrobe, she finally settled on three outfits. Lucy knew it was going to be a nice day, so she chose clothing fit for today's weather. The first outfit she tried on comprised of a short white halter-top paired with a black leather mini skirt. The outfit emphasized her curves very well, especially her chest. She knew how it'll affect Loke if she wore that outfit to today's meeting.

" _This will tempt him way too much…he won't even take me seriously!"_ Lucy thought to herself, _"he'll likely think with his lower half…wait a minute? Do celestial spirits even have sexual desires?"_

Lucy pondered that thought briefly, then blushed when she realized what she was thinking. She shook her head, banishing those inappropriate thoughts to the back of her mind.

" _Focus Lucy, focus!"_ she mentally scolded herself, _"I need something that will make me look good, yet won't make me look like a seductress…"_

Her gaze drifted to the second outfit she selected. It was a simple blue t-shirt paired with a pair of white denim shorts. She put them on and gazed at herself in the mirror.

" _Hmm…this looks too plain and simple…"_

Lucy frowned; she's never had difficulty in selecting something to wear. She usually just chose whatever looked good on her. This time however, she had a really hard time deciding on what to wear. She wanted to look good for Loke, but she didn't want to wear anything too revealing or anything that emphasized her womanly features too much.

Lucy then looked at the third and final outfit. It was the sundress she purchased when she was out with Aries and Virgo the other day. She put it on and looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't too long to make her look reserved and boring, but it wasn't too short where if she bent down, she would flash somebody. The sun dress was one of those cold-shoulder dresses with shoulder straps; the straps weren't too thin like spaghetti strap tank tops or too thick like racer back tops. With straps on the dress, she didn't have to worry about the dress slipping off her shoulders due to her well-endowed chest. It also had flowing ruffles under the straps, which helped take the attention away from her chest and the dress itself hugged her curves well, but not too much where it emphasized them. The dress was also a high-lo type of dress, short at the front and long at the back. It was a white dress, with a floral pattern all over it. It made her look cute, yet feminine at the same time. Lucy smiled; she finally found the perfect outfit.

Next, she sat in front of her vanity and applied some light make-up on her face. Lucy was already beautiful without make up, but she wanted to make herself look extra good for Loke. After applying some light pink tinted lip gloss, she proceeded to doing her hair. She decided on a loose side braid; her hair was long enough to do that and it was the perfect hair style that went with her dress. Content with how her hair looked, she applied some hairspray to ensure it stays for the day and spritzed a bit of citrus smelling perfume; she loved the smell of citrus. It always made her feel refreshed and energized. The last step was to pick a pair of shoes that worked with her outfit. Lucy settled on a pair of simple, yet cute sandals. They were also very comfortable to walk in, just in case they decided to take a stroll in the city or something. Looking in the mirror one more time to examine the fruits of her labour, Lucy smiled at herself with satisfaction. She grabbed her light blue hand bag and placed her celestial spirit keys in it, as well as anything else she may need for the day.

" _It's now or never Lucy,"_ she thought to herself, _"you can do this."_

She mentally encouraged herself a few times before finally leaving her apartment.

* * *

Upon arriving at Magnolia Central Park, Lucy went to scour the area for something that was somewhat secluded and offered some form of privacy. She did not want any interruptions on this day. She stumbled across a beautiful clearing surrounded with trees and bushes that was in the northern part of the park.

" _Strange…I've been here numerous times and I've never seen something like this,"_ she thought to herself. She made a mental note to come here on days she wanted to work on her novel outside.

There weren't many people in the area, which was a huge plus as well. Her guildmates were usually busy with missions and during their downtime, they usually spent it at the guild hall, or at Fairy Hills, an all-female dormitory. There were practically zero chances of her guildmates ruining her plans for the day. However, she didn't want to take any chances. Lucy was going to call Capricorn, but then she remembered that he was going to do some special training with Erza. She then thought she could call out Aquarius, but then she remembered she didn't have her key anymore. This saddened Lucy a little bit, but she didn't let it ruin her mood. Aquarius sent out Virgo and Aries the other day to keep her company over her dilemma over Loke; she knew Aquarius cared about her and wouldn't want her to ruin this chance now that she found the answer she was looking for. Lucy thought long and hard as to who to summon and finally settled on Virgo.

"Princess," she greeted with a bow upon arriving from the celestial world.

"Virgo, I need you to keep an eye out for any one from the guild and keep them away from this area," Lucy stated, "I trust you know what to do."

Virgo gave Lucy a knowing smile. "My, my princess. I didn't think you were going to do _that_ with Loke."

Lucy blushed a brilliant shade of red in embarrassment. "I-it's not what you think, Virgo!"

"Sorry princess," Virgo said, "please punish me for my earlier comment."

Lucy sighed and waved Virgo away. "No need…just go."

"On it, princess," Virgo saluted, then winked, "good luck."

The maiden spirit then proceeded to patrol the park, leaving a slightly flustered Lucy trying to regain her composure and shoving all inappropriate thoughts into the back of her mind. Once she was certain she was ready and calm, she pulled out Loke's key. Taking a deep breath, she proceeded with the incantation.

"Open, gate of the lion, Loke!"

A brilliant golden light appeared briefly and disappeared, leaving a well-dressed man in a black suit with a red tie. His wild orange hair shone brilliantly under the sun.

"Lucy's knight in shining armor has arrived," Loke said, his voice full of exuberance.

"Loke…" Lucy uttered silently. She really wanted to run up and embrace him at that very moment.

He glanced at his owner, fully taking in the sight before him. Her beauty was really something in his eyes, but today he felt that Lucy looked even more beautiful today. His heart began to race as he walked towards her, slowly closing the distance between them. Lucy watched as the distance between them shrank. Before she knew it, she was looking up at him, gazing into his handsome features and his brilliant eyes.

"So, I take it today's the day you will use that rain check?" Loke asked, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses.

Lucy looked down, nodding. _"This is it Lucy! Do it. Get it over and done with and then you can proceed with whatever will happen next."_

She looked back at him. "Loke…I have something I want to say to you…"

Loke looked at her, a bit perplexed at what she suddenly wanted to say. His pulse began to quicken as he started to feel nervous.

"W-what is it beautiful?" Loke asked nervously. He tried his best to appear calm and collected, but the thought of whatever Lucy was going to say next had him worried. Was she going to void their contract, resulting him never seeing her again? Was she going to set the boundaries between them, fully turning him down once and for all? A million questions ran through his mind at that very moment, making his attempts at keeping calm fail. He clenched his fists tightly.

Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, then out. She opened her eyes and stared at the man in front of her. Her heart was racing, and she could feel herself trembling. She clenched her fists to stop herself from trembling further. Even though she was nervous, she knew that deep down, this was what she wanted.

"Loke…I'm in love with you."

* * *

 **A/N:** Finally, the next chapter. I made it before the end of the year lol. I can't believe there's so many favorites and followers to this fic; it makes me so happy; thank you =D It makes me want to pick up my AsuCaga fics again...but I think I might focus on this one first and actually complete it. I won't let you loyal readers down; I hope you enjoyed the next part! Next update: sometime in 2020


	5. Chapter 5: The Moment of Truth (Part 2)

**A/N:** _Hey all! I hope everyone is staying safe out there. With this whole covid-19 pandemic going on, I'm sure everyone has been busy. I'm one of the unfortunate ones that still have to work...I can get more of what I want done if I didn't have to work..but alas I'm indirectly fighting on the front-lines, providing medications to those that need it. I don't know when I will have the next chapter up after this, but do keep checking or add this story to your alerts. Just know, this story will have an ending =D Now without further ado, chapter 5!_

* * *

" _Loke…I'm in love with you."_

Loke stood there, dumbfounded. The words Lucy had just said kept repeating in his mind. It took him a few seconds to fully understand the meaning behind those words.

" _Do my ears deceive me?"_ Loke thought to himself, _"she said she's in love with me….Lucy said she's in love with me…she said she's in love with me!"_

The lion spirit looked at the woman in front of him; her eyes were serious, yet nervous at the same time. She was blushing as well.

" _This isn't a joke…she really is in love with me…"_ Loke thought after observing Lucy for some time.

He had been dreaming of this moment to happen ever since his feelings for her became real and stronger and now it's finally becoming reality. It was true that he once only showed an interest in her because of her beauty. He was a playboy then, chasing anything in a skirt and wooing as many beauties as he could. It was something he did to pass the time as he waited to die in the human world. Little did he know, he slowly got used to his playboy ways and it became second nature to him over time. As he hung around Lucy more, he realized there was something about her that was different from the other women he spent his time with. Maybe it was because she showed no interest in him or maybe it was how she was immune to his charms, but whatever it was, he couldn't help but be drawn to her. She made him feel something, something he never felt before during his life as a celestial spirit.

When he found out Lucy was a celestial spirit mage, his heart stopped. He couldn't believe the woman he felt drawn to be the very thing he was trying to run away from. His previous owner, Karen Lilica, was also a celestial spirit mage. Granted, he felt no attraction whatsoever to Karen, but she was still his master…a horrible master in fact. But because of what he did to Karen, despite her being a horrible master to all celestial beings, he couldn't live with himself and thus, accepted his punishment.

Karen was a powerful celestial spirit mage and her beauty got her onto the cover of Sorcerer Weekly many times. However, despite her reputation as a spirit mage, many spirits were afraid of their keys falling into her hands. Karen was harsh to her spirits, always using them as tools in her missions. Loke's friend, Aries, always got the worst of it. The timid little lamb spirit was always used as a shield to protect Karen in battles and when there were too many men vying for her attention, she would send Aries to take over and entertain her male fans in her place. This always made Aries feel very uncomfortable. Aries was never a timid spirit…until she met Karen. Because of Karen's treatment and attitude towards Aries, the lamb spirit gradually became fearful of her owner and never dared to anger her.

The day that the guild master of Blue Pegasus reprimanded Karen for her treatment of her celestial spirit partners was the day that started everything.

* * *

Aries was called out and was immediately punished for telling guild master Bob about how she treats her celestial spirits. Aries never did such thing, but Karen wouldn't listen to the lamb spirit. When Karen threatened to lock Aries up for seven days in the human world, Loke switched places with Aries and summoned himself into the human world. He defended Aries and demanded Karen to release him and Aries from their contracts. He told her how she was a disgrace to all celestial wizards and how his fellow spirits were afraid of their key falling into her hands. This angered Karen, thus making her force-close his gate. However, she was unable to do so. Leo, his name back then, refused to leave until she voided his and Aries' contracts. He knew Karen's limits and knew she wasn't strong enough to summon another spirit while he was in the human world. And since Karen wasn't strong enough to summon another spirit and he refused to be at her beck and call, she would have a hard time to find work and earn money; that was Loke's plan then and he was right. Karen couldn't get work for a month and she came back to him, begging him to stop and promised that she will not mistreat Aries anymore. Loke did not believe her and told her if she felt any shred of remorse for her treatment of Aries, she would free them both from their contracts. This angered Karen and she kicked him to the ground, telling him to die already so she could summon Aries and make her work like a dog just to spite him.

Two months later, he felt it was time for him to forgive Karen and if she mistreated Aries again, he figured he could perform the same trick. However, before he could proceed to find his master, Blue Pegasus's guild master, Bob, came to him and that was when Loke found out the price he paid for standing up to Karen. He learned that she took a job, despite knowing that she wouldn't be able to summon another spirit while Loke was in the human world. He learned she attempted to summon another spirit, but in the end, she wasn't strong enough and lost her life on the job. This devastated the lion spirit. All he wanted was for his master to realize that celestial spirits were more than just magic tools; they were living beings that had feelings as well. He wanted her to realize how her cruelty and mistreatment was hurting them; he didn't want her to die. As a result of his actions, the celestial spirit king banished Loke to the human world, never allowing him to return home to his world.

When Lucy found him, the day he knew his time was up, he told her everything. He was prepared to die and felt that the best way to atone for his sin was to die as well. He thanked Lucy, for restoring his faith in celestial wizard: for showing him that not all celestial wizards were like Karen. Lucy refused to let him die. She understood the reason for his actions and felt that it was unfair for him to be punished that way. She told him that he didn't kill Karen and that it was an unintended accident. She told him that it wasn't his fault. She told him she was going to save him and open his gate, no matter what it took. As a result, the celestial spirit king made his appearance; he only appeared because Lucy believed his judgement was wrong. He explained his reason for banishing Loke and refused to lift the banishment. Lucy was angered by the spirit king's judgement; she told him it wasn't Loke's fault. She told him her views of the incident and deemed Loke innocent and that he shouldn't have been punished for standing up for his friend, nor be punished for someone's death that he had no part of; it was Karen's lack of judgement that resulted in her losing her life. Loke saw no reason for her to keep defending him; he still felt guilty for Karen's death and still would rather die than to keep living with that guilt. He kept begging Lucy to stop, but Lucy kept insisting that it wasn't his fault and that him dying will not bring Karen back. She surprised him that day by summoning all her spirits, telling him that if he died, she and all his friends would be sad without him. Those actions warmed the spirit king, thus allowing him to revoke Loke's punishment. Loke still wanted to atone for his sin and make it up to Karen and thus, his contract with Lucy was formed. The spirit king ordered him to be in the service of Lucy and protect her with his life, just like how Lucy risked her life to save him. Everything Lucy did to save him had warmed his frozen heart and he felt a strong bond had formed between them. He thanked Lucy before going back to the spirit world, leaving her his key.

Looking back on everything, he initially felt grateful to Lucy. If she hadn't done what she had done for him, he wouldn't have had a second chance. But over time, those feelings changed. The more he spent time with her in the guild or on a job, his feelings changed from feeling grateful to something more. He noticed he felt jealous whenever another guy got close to her. He felt jealous of her bond with Natsu and Gray. He always felt a bit annoyed whenever she wore short, revealing outfits. He felt protective of her and didn't want to share her with anyone else, especially with other men. Each time she came close to losing her life on a job, he would be there to save her and help her as best as he can. He slowly realized that he couldn't bear to lose her and that was when he realized that he loved her. When he realized his feelings, he began to feel nervous around her. He covered his nervousness with his lame pick-up lines and smooth talk, something that's second nature to him after being in the human world for so long. However, he knew if he kept up his playboy ways, Lucy would never take him seriously. Loke then vowed to work on himself and change his playboy self. His efforts proved fruitful as now his heart's desire was now standing in front of him, confessing her love to him.

* * *

Lucy looked at Loke. Her heart was pounding rapidly, and her cheeks felt hot. She looked at the man before her, who was staring blankly back at her. She wondered if Loke had heard her confession. It had only been a few minutes after confessing to him, but it felt like hours to her as she awaited his response. Her mind began running with wild thoughts.

" _What if he doesn't feel the same way?"_ Lucy panicked inwardly, _"what if I was being too impulsive by confessing too soon? What if I never get to see him again if he rejects?"_

All these thoughts made Lucy feel nervous and with each passing second, her nervousness kept building. She took a deep breath as she reached out to tug on Loke's sleeve.

"L-Loke?" Lucy gently asked.

Loke felt a tugging sensation on his lower arm, snapping him out of his reverie. He looked down to see a hand on his sleeve. He looked back up and saw Lucy looking at him. He could tell she was nervous, and it made him chuckle. This angered Lucy a little.

" _He's laughing?! The nerve of him!"_

Lucy withdrew her hand angrily and turned around to proceed to leave the park. Loke panicked and quickly grabbed her arm. Lucy threw him an angry glance.

"Let me go, Loke," she said calmly, trying not to let her embarrassment get the better of her.

Instead of letting her go, Loke turned her around and pulled her into an embrace. Lucy's eyes widened as she found herself pressed onto his body, locked tightly in his arms.

"Lucy…" Loke said as he continued to hold her, "you have no idea how much you mean to me..."

He gently let her go, but still held her loosely as he looked into her eyes. He grabbed her chin and gently tilted her head up. Lucy looked back at him, her heart pounding as his face drew nearer. Before she knew it, his lips were locked onto hers. Her eyes widened in surprise, but gradually closed as she returned the kiss. It was everything Loke imagined their first kiss to be: sweet and warm. He could feel his lower half tingle from the excitement of kissing her, but he pushed any inappropriate thoughts aside and relished in the moment of their first kiss. To Lucy, it felt like time had stopped. She couldn't hear the birds or the sounds of people passing by. She didn't imagine her first kiss with Loke would make her feel so good. Their lips soon parted, causing Lucy to feel sad that it was over. She raised her hand to touch her lips and looked back at Loke. Loke looked back at Lucy and smiled warmly at her. She could tell he was blushing slightly, causing her to smile.

"I'm in love with you too, Lucy," he replied.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat and her smile became wider. She knew he had feelings for her, otherwise he wouldn't have initiated the kiss. But after hearing him confess his feelings, she was over the moon. Lucy hugged Loke, snuggling into his chest. He returned the embrace, feeling ecstatic that he finally won the brightest star in his life.

* * *

 **A/N #2:** _And that's the end of this chapter. I broke "The Moment of Truth" into two parts, for Lucy's POV and Loke's POV. I know the cliffhanger on the last chapter sucked, but I hope this chapter will make up for it. I also have a little desktop design/wallpaper I created a while ago and if you all want, you can use it for your desktop (just copy and paste the link in your browser - hope you all will like it): ethie-chan/art/Desktop-Wallpaper-Lucy-Heartfilia-x-Loke-Lolu-794221126_

 _If anyone wants to see more Lolu designs, let me know and I will be sure to create some. Thank you to all that have left kudos and comments and have added this story to their alerts. Look forward to the next chapter and until then, stay safe everyone! We can beat this_


	6. Chapter 6: Boyfriend and Girlfriend

**A/N #1:** _This is a very long chapter…the longest I've ever written lol. Enjoy!_

* * *

Loke was beyond ecstatic; he was over the moon. He never dreamed that he would win Lucy over, but now there she was, in his arms, snuggling against his body. This was the best thing that's ever happened in his lifetime. He knew of their different statuses in this world, but he didn't care. He would go through hell and back just to be with her; he would fight whatever opposing force that was against them being together. He glanced down at the blonde, a question itching to come out of his mouth. He wanted to make sure Lucy knew what she was getting herself into; the last thing he wanted was for Lucy to get hurt.

"Lucy…" Loke said as he released his hold on her, causing the blonde to look up, "I hate to ruin the moment here, but I have to be sure of one thing."

"What is it?" Lucy asked curiously.

"You thought about this long and hard right? You and I are both part of different worlds and neither of us knows where this will lead. We don't know what forces may come and tear us apart…"

Loke paused for a bit. Lucy looked at her lion spirit, urging him to continue.

"We don't know what may happen is what I'm trying to say," Loke continued, "I love you. And I am willing to do anything and everything for our love. I will go against all odds just to be with you…"

Lucy placed a finger on Loke's lips, silencing the lion spirit from continuing on. He looked at her, perplexed at her sudden action.

"Yes I have thought about it. I know our current circumstances and I know there may be some challenges that will be thrown our way, but Loke," Lucy said and smiled, "me coming here and calling you out just to confess to you means that I am willing to face whatever may come. As long as we're together, we can beat whatever challenge that comes our way."

She took both his hands in her own, giving them a reassuring squeeze. Loke smiled and encircled Lucy in another heartwarming embrace. The two of them stayed like that for a few minutes.

"Look at the _cuutee_ couple," Virgo mused aloud, startling both Lucy and Loke, causing the two to look at the source of the voice.

Virgo approached the couple, a knowing smile on her face. "Well, well, big brother. It looks like you finally got what you wanted."

Loke took Lucy's hand into his, looked at Lucy and smiled, "Indeed I did, Virgo. This calls for a celebration!"

Lucy mentally face-palmed and sighed. "I don't think there's a need for that, Loke."

"Oh come on, Lucy!" Loke said, excitement evident in his voice, "I finally won the heart of the brightest star in my life and you don't want to celebrate and show off?"

"Well…" Lucy said uneasily and looked away. _"It's kind of unnecessary really…"_

Loke looked at Lucy and could tell she didn't like the idea. He sighed in defeat and smiled.

"If that is what my princess wishes, then I will leave it alone," Loke said.

Lucy looked at her new boyfriend and smiled. "Thank you for understanding, Loke."

"Well, my job is here is done," Virgo said and smiled teasingly at the new couple in front of her, "have fun today, but don't have _too_ much fun."

Lucy blushed a brilliant shade of red, while Loke on the other hand, was unfazed.

"Virgo!" Lucy shouted at the maiden spirit in embarrassment.

Virgo winked at Lucy before disappearing back to the spirit world. Lucy was left feeling embarrassed, angry and a whole mix of other emotions she did not know she could have all at the same time. Loke could tell his girlfriend was feeling a lot of emotions right now; he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side.

"Don't worry about what Virgo said Lucy," Loke said as he kissed her head and turned her to make her face him, "I won't do anything that will make you feel uncomfortable or without your consent."

"I know," Lucy replied and smiled, "I trust you."

Loke smiled. "Now, let me return to the spirit world briefly and summon myself back. I don't want to rely on your magic energy to keep me here for our first date."

Lucy nodded. The lion spirit kissed Lucy on the cheek before he disappeared back to the spirit world. Seconds after Loke disappeared, he reappeared, donning the human form he had back when he was stuck in the human world. His hair was no longer wild, but short and tamed. He wore a pair of casual black shorts and a white button up summer t-shirt that had the top few buttons unbuttoned, which slightly showed off his well toned chest and a necklace that was similar to the one Gray wore, but smaller. Liking his new look, Lucy gave Loke a thumbs up.

"Welcome back," Lucy said as she gave Loke a peck on the lips.

Loke smiled and presented her with a bouquet of pink roses, which also had her first novel embedded in the middle. "It's not much on such short notice, but I hope you'll like them."

Lucy's eyes brightened at the sight of the little pink bouquet and seeing the novel she wrote in them made her smile wider.

"Aww Loke…you want an autograph?" she teased.

"Hey, I want to support my girlfriend in every way possible," Loke defended, "and to know that I have the only signed copy from her makes it even better."

Lucy laughed and gave Loke a longer kiss than the previous one. Loke returned the kiss with his own. Lucy broke the kiss first and looked at Loke with so much warmth in her eyes that it made the lion spirit's heart swell with love for the blonde woman in front of him.

"Thank you, Loke," Lucy said, "I love them. Let's head back to my place so I can place them in a vase of fresh water and I can sign that book for you as well."

"Sounds good," Loke replied as he took her free hand in his.

She wrapped her fingers between his and gave her boyfriend a smile. The pair then began to make their way back to Lucy's apartment.

* * *

"Wow Lucy," Loke said in awe as he stepped into his girlfriend's home, "not bad for someone who lives on their own."

Lucy smiled proudly. It was not easy finding a place to rent in Magnolia that didn't cost her an arm and a leg, but she managed to find one. It took some time, but she finally got her place set up the way she wanted and after joining Fairy Tail, the jewel she earned was enough to purchase items to furnish her home with (as long as most of her reward money didn't go towards damage and repair costs that is…)

"Thanks, Loke. Make yourself at home. I'll be right back," Lucy said as she stepped into the kitchen.

Loke sat on the sofa and waited for Lucy to take care of whatever she needed to take care of. Soon, the blonde emerged from the kitchen with two glasses of water and a vase filled with the pink roses Loke had given her. She placed the vase in the middle of the coffee table and set one drink in front of Loke and another for herself.

"Here," she said as she handed him her novel, "signed and sealed with a kiss."

"A kiss you say?" Loke asked as he opened the novel she had given him.

Upon opening the cover of the book, Loke did indeed see a pink lip-shaped imprint next to his girlfriend's signature. The corners of his lips couldn't help but lift into a smile.

Lucy sat down next to Loke, smiling. "I'm glad you like it."

He draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close.

"I love it," Loke said and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "I'll always treasure it."

"You better. It's one of a kind," Lucy bragged.

"Oh I know," Loke answered as he made the book vanish from his hand, "I've already locked it in a safe place."

Lucy giggled and snuggled closer to her boyfriend. _"This is really nice…is this what being in love feels like?"_

"Anyways Lucy," Loke asked, breaking Lucy's train of thought, "is there anything you'd like to do today now that we're officially boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Lucy thought about it for a moment. She smiled at Loke sheepishly.

"Honestly... I didn't think that far ahead…"

Loke laughed. "So you're telling me you didn't plan anything?"

"Well no…" Lucy replied, "I mean you could have denied my feelings and turned me down. I didn't want to have anything planned in the event I got heartbroken."

"Fair enough," Loke agreed. He too didn't know if Lucy would have rejected his feelings if he had been the one to confess instead.

The two of them continued sitting on the sofa, thinking about what to do today. Lucy wanted to go for a walk through Magnolia, maybe do some window shopping or catch a movie, but at the same time, she wanted to enjoy her time with Loke, quietly and without any interruptions; by quiet and no interruptions, she meant she didn't want her guild-mates or Loke's ex-fangirls to see them, not yet anyways. After the stresses of cleaning her place up, picking an outfit to confessing to her lion, Lucy just wanted to enjoy the rest of her day in peace, with the presence of her boyfriend of course. However, she didn't know how to tell Loke. She knew how much he wanted to show her off and announce that they were an item, but she wasn't ready for that yet. She looked at Loke, contemplating whether or not to tell him what she was feeling right at this moment. Loke could feel her eyes on him and he looked at her, smiling.

"What is it, beautiful?" he asked, "have you decided on what we're going to do today? Whatever my Lucy wishes, I will happily oblige."

Lucy thought about it, but then realized that in order to make this relationship work, establishing trust and communication was key.

"Umm…Loke. can we just do something simple?" Lucy asked, "nothing fancy or extravagant. Just a walk in the park or something. I know you want to show off and announce to the world that we're an item now, but for the moment, I want to enjoy some time together, just you and me. No interruptions from the guild or your prior fangirls. I do want everyone to know, just...not today. I hope you understand."

Lucy took a deep breath after finishing what she wanted to say. She had no idea she had said all that in one breath. She looked at Loke, hoping he understood and won't feel like she's ashamed of them being together, which was far from what she felt.

Loke took a moment to process what his girlfriend had just said. He understood how she felt; some alone time away from prying eyes (and from a certain nosy blue furball) would be nice. After all, they had just got together and although there would be lots of opportunities to spend time together alone, Loke felt the same as Lucy did. He leaned forward and gave Lucy a quick kiss on the lips and smiled as he pulled away.

"I understand, Lucy," Loke replied, "a walk in the park sounds nice. We can go back to that area of the park we were just at."

"That sounds like a great idea," Lucy said enthusiastically, "not very many people seem to know about that area."

Loke agreed, then he had a random thought as he asked, "Hey Lucy, do you have another book you're working on?"

"Well I do..." Lucy said suspiciously, wondering why Loke had asked that question. She had in fact been working on her next novel, which was the continuation of her first book. However, this time, it wasn't just going to focus on Iris' adventures, but also on her love life. She wanted to try her hand at writing a romance novel, minus the R-rated stuff as she felt she wasn't ready to write something like that. Lucy had been stumped as to what to write about for her main character's love life, though. But after hearing Loke's suggestion, her eyes widened as she understood what Loke was asking.

"You want me to work on my book on our first date?" Lucy asked.

"Why not?" Loke answered, "I'm sure you'd like to work on it at some point. Plus, you wanted a quiet date. What better way to spend it than working on your book for a bit while also spending some time with your boyfriend?"

Lucy pondered over it for a few minutes. She liked the idea and she did want to go to that area she found earlier to work on her novel one day, but she didn't want to waste her time working on her novel when she could spend it with Loke.

"Are you sure, Loke?" Lucy asked, "I don't want to waste our time together by working on my book..."

"Don't think of it as a waste, Lucy," Loke said as he pulled her closer, giving her a reassuring squeeze in the process, "I'd love nothing more than for you to work on your book. I'm sure you've been lacking inspiration lately as well."

Lucy looked down sheepishly. "How did you know?"

"Call it a lucky guess," Loke replied and laughed, "but honestly, I'm not sure how I knew. It's like, I can feel your emotions...your pain. I know when you're in trouble and I show up to protect you."

He glanced at Lucy to see if she was still following. She nodded, urging him to continue.

"I'm not sure how to explain it," he continued, "but I feel like there's a stronger bond between us, more than just spirit and master."

"You feel it too huh?" Lucy interjected, "ever since you became my contracted spirit, I've always wondered how you always appeared right on time, saving me time and time again before it was too late..."

"I guess we owe it to the love we have for each other," Loke said as he looked at Lucy seriously, "cause the moment I discovered my feelings for you, I noticed I started feeling this strong connection between us."

"Loke, I..." Lucy started to say, completely at a loss for words. Everything Loke was saying made sense to her, but she didn't know what to make of it.

"Anyways," Loke said suddenly, changing the subject, "we should get going before it gets too late."

Lucy looked at the clock on the wall across from them. _"He's right...it's already so late in the afternoon..."_

"Alright," Lucy said as she stood up, "let me go get my things and we'll head out."

Loke nodded as he watched Lucy disappear into another room upstairs. _"I hope I didn't scare her by telling her all that..."_

While Loke was deep in thought over whether he should have told her what he had just told her, Lucy had come back to the living room.

"Alright, Loke. I'm ready to go," Lucy said as she placed her notebook into her bag.

When she didn't hear a sound from the lion spirit, she looked up from what she was doing and saw that Loke was still sitting on the sofa, with his head down and hands clasped on top of his legs; it seemed he was deep in thought. She approached her boyfriend and gently called out to him.

"Hey Loke?"

When there was no response from him, she squatted down in front of him and placed a hand on top of his clasped hands. That elicited a response from the lion spirit. He looked up, his eyes meeting the blonde's brown ones. She smiled at him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

He looked back down, but Lucy used her other hand to tilt his head back up.

"You know you can talk to me," Lucy continued, "unless...you're starting to have second thoughts of us being together?"

Loke's eyes widened. "N-no Lucy! I'm not having second thoughts!"

Lucy giggled at his response; she knew he wasn't having second thoughts, but she was amused with his reaction.

"Then tell me Loke, what's bothering you?" Lucy asked the lion spirit again, "I won't force you to tell me if you don't want to…"

Loke inwardly sighed. He knew that the key to a successful relationship was honesty and communication and he was willing to tell her, but he was worried she will laugh.

He took a deep breath. "Promise me you won't laugh?"

Lucy placed a hand to her heart and looked at her boyfriend with a serious expression. "I promise I won't laugh."

"Okay…" Loke said hesitantly, "you remember how we were talking earlier and I said that I feel like there's a bond between us that's stronger than master and spirit? And that I noticed a strong connection between us the moment I realized my feelings for you?"

Lucy nodded. "Go on."

"Well…I was worried…I scared you by saying something ridiculous like that…" Loke said shyly.

Lucy thought back to their earlier conversation and she remembered how she was at a loss for words when Loke told her those things. Then, he suddenly changed the subject. Her eyes widened in understanding, but then softened as she looked at her boyfriend.

"Oh Loke…" Lucy said, "what you said didn't scare me at all. Really."

"It…didn't?" he asked.

Lucy shook her head, confirming her response again. "It didn't. And I don't find it ridiculous at all."

Loke sighed in relief. "Oh thank God…I thought I weirded you out and you'd think less of me."

Lucy smacked Loke on the shoulder. "Hey don't think like that okay? I love you, **all** of you. It'll take more than that to make me stop loving you."

Loke smiled and pulled Lucy into a hug.

"I love you so much Lucy," he said, "and thank you."

They pulled apart and leaned in for a kiss.

"I could get used to this…" Lucy said absentmindedly once they broke their kiss.

"If simply kissing me makes you feel this good, I can show you more that will make you feel ten times as good," Loke said knowingly, obviously hinting at something further.

Lucy's cheeks flushed; she knew what he was getting at. And he knew she wasn't ready to take that step. She leveled a glare at Loke.

"Well, you can say good-bye to these lips," Lucy said as she pointed to her lips.

"Aww Lucy!" Loke pouted.

Lucy laughed, which in turn got Loke laughing as well; she knew how much Loke enjoyed kissing her and it made her body tingle whenever he kissed her. She was sure she wouldn't last a day without kissing him.

"Alright, alright," Loke finally said, "we should really get going before we waste the day away."

"Well then, let's go," Lucy said excitedly as she held her hand out to Loke.

The lion spirit took the proffered hand, entwining his fingers with hers. The pair looked at each other and smiled as they left Lucy's home, making their way to their next destination for the day.

* * *

They soon arrived at the secluded location within Magnolia Central Park, the place where the two confessed their feelings to one another. Lucy was settled on the ground, leaning against a tree with Loke resting comfortably on the ground, with his head on Lucy's lap. The blonde was hit with sudden inspiration that she started writing the moment they had found a suitable place to settle down. Loke smiled when he saw Lucy eagerly take out her notebook and pen and began writing as soon as she sat down. He decided to lay on the ground with his head on her lap and silently watch his girlfriend feverishly write down whatever she had going on in her mind. Before he knew it, he dozed off; he wasn't bored or anything, he was just content and comfortable.

Lucy read over what she had just written and smiled to herself. She hadn't written anything in a while and she couldn't resist transposing the story she had forming in her head the moment inspiration struck. She closed her notebook, leaving her pen to mark where she had left off, and placed them on the ground beside her. Her legs felt awfully uncomfortable and that was when she realized Loke had used her legs as a pillow. She glanced down at her sleeping lion and smiled warmly; she gently stroked his hair. He looked so peaceful and content that she couldn't bear shifting her position and waking him up.

" _I hope he wasn't bored while I wrote part of my book…"_

Yawning, she raised her arms above her head and gave herself a nice, long stretch. Seeing Loke sleeping so peacefully made her feel sleepy as well. Lucy figured it'd be okay to take a quick little nap while she waited for Loke to wake up. She closed her eyes and before she knew it, she had dozed off.

* * *

Loke shifted slightly, waking himself up. He slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings.

" _Oh yeah…I fell asleep while she was writing…I wonder if she's done…"_

He listened for the sounds of a pen writing on paper, but he couldn't hear anything. Instead, he heard the sound of light, deep and even breathing. He looked up and saw that Lucy had also fallen asleep. He laughed to himself quietly and smiled. He got up slowly and positioned himself next to his girlfriend. Very carefully, Loke gently moved Lucy's head to his shoulder, helping her feel a little more comfortable. He looked at her affectionately as he brushed a few stray hairs away from her face. Lucy stirred slightly, causing Loke to stop what he was doing.

"You're awake?" Loke gently asked as Lucy slowly opened her eyes.

"Y-yeah," Lucy replied.

She sat up and stretched. "How long was I out for?"

"I'm not sure," Loke said as he thought about it, "I actually woke up not too long ago."

Lucy looked down at her hands, feeling ashamed of herself for choosing to work on her book.

"I'm sorry, Loke," Lucy apologized, "I didn't mean to bore you while I was writing…it's just that inspiration struck and I-"

Loke put up a hand, causing Lucy to pause mid-sentence.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, Lucy. It's fine. It made me happy to see you working hard. I'm really glad you took this opportunity to write when inspiration finally struck."

Lucy smiled. "Thanks Loke, but I feel so bad that we wasted the day away."

Loke shook his head and looked at her warmly. "It wasn't a waste, Lucy. I had a wonderful time. Really. I haven't been this happy in a long time. I really enjoyed every moment of it."

"Loke…"

The two of them leaned in for a kiss, his lips capturing hers. Once they broke the kiss, they looked at each other, smiling at one another. The sun started setting, catching Lucy's attention. Her eyes widened in excitement.

"Wow!" Lucy exclaimed, "what a beautiful sunset!"

Loke nodded. "It sure is…but you're even more beautiful, Lucy."

Lucy blushed lightly. "Loke…"

She leaned in closer to Loke, resting her head on his shoulder. He leaned in closer and rested his head on her head. He wrapped an arm around his girlfriend, pulling her closer to him. The two of them sat like that as they watched the sun set.

* * *

"Thanks for walking me home, Loke," Lucy said as she closed the door to her home.

"It's nothing," Loke said and winked, "can't exactly let a beautiful woman like you walk home on your own so late at night."

It was well past 11 PM when the two of them returned to Lucy's apartment. After the sun had set earlier, Lucy and Loke chose to do a little star gazing before finally deciding to head back. It was a wonderful evening and Lucy didn't want it to end. However, she knew Loke had to return back to the spirit world eventually. She unconsciously squeezed Loke's hand, reluctant to let go. Loke could feel her reluctance; he pulled her into his arms, giving her a hug.

"Lucy, don't be sad," Loke said softly, "I'll see you tomorrow. And the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. There won't be a single day where you will be without me. Unless you tell me otherwise, I will continue to be with you."

Lucy wrapped her arms tighter around Loke. "I know. I just had a wonderful day with you Loke and I don't want it to end…"

Loke chuckled. "It's not the end, Lucy. It's a beautiful beginning. There will be many more days for us to be together."

"I know Loke," Lucy replied, "it's just sad we have to part ways is all…"

"I know Lucy," Loke said sadly, "I don't want to leave either, but we both know I have to go back…unless…you want me to stay the night?"

Lucy pulled away from Loke, eyeing him suspiciously.

He panicked as he put both hands up in front of him. "No funny business. I swear!"

Lucy continued eyeing him, leaving the poor lion spirit regretting making the earlier suggestion. Suddenly, Lucy started laughing. This relaxed Loke, causing him to feel more at ease.

"I know you won't do anything that will make me uncomfortable, Loke," Lucy said after she calmed down a little from laughing earlier.

"So…you'll take me up on my offer?" Loke asked. He was secretly hoping she would let him spend the night with her. He didn't want to leave her so soon.

"Will you be okay though?" Lucy asked, "you know your life force is slowly being drained while you're here."

Loke thumped his chest proudly. "Of course I'll be fine. You forget, I survived here for 3 years once."

"I know…" Lucy said sadly. She remembered almost losing him. At that time, she felt really compelled to save him. Not just because he was a celestial spirit that was unfairly punished, but there was something else that drove her to desperately save him. She didn't know why at the time, but now she knew. Her feelings for Loke were there the whole time, ever since she first met him. However, she shrugged them off because she didn't want to be one of his play things.

Loke noticed his girlfriend was saddened by something. He pulled her back into a hug, reassuring her that everything will be okay.

"I'll be fine, Lucy," he said softly, "don't worry."

Lucy snuggled closer to him. "I know."

They pulled apart.

"Then…can you stay the night, Loke?" Lucy asked.

"It'll be my pleasure," the lion spirit replied.

"Then, let me go take a shower first. I was thinking of maybe watching a movie together before bed."

"Sounds like a plan. I will go look and pick one. Go and enjoy your shower, Lucy."

Lucy nodded and proceeded upstairs to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, Lucy emerged from upstairs all showered and ready to relax and enjoy a movie with her boyfriend. She found Loke all settled on the couch debating between two movie lacrimas he had in his hands. She also noticed that he was dressed in pajamas and no longer in the clothing he had worn earlier.

" _I guess he must have gone back briefly and changed…"_

"Haven't decided yet?" she asked as she sat down beside him.

"No…" Loke answered, "I'm torn between a good mystery or a romantic comedy."

"Well, what would you like to watch?" Lucy asked, "you stayed with me while I worked on my book. I feel you should choose what to watch."

Loke thought for a moment. "Do you like mysteries?"

"Are you kidding? I love mysteries!" Lucy said excitedly, "in fact, I haven't seen this one yet. It's been on my list to watch, but because of work, I haven't really had time to watch it."

"Well, then it's settled," Loke said and smiled.

He got up and put one of the movie lacrimas back on the shelf and placed the other lacrima on the coffee table in front of them. Grabbing a blanket he had brought with him from the celestial spirit world, he wrapped it around himself and Lucy. Lucy obliged and snuggled closer to him, resting her body against his. Sharing one more kiss before the movie, Loke then pressed play and the movie began. About halfway through though, sleep overtook them both and they wound up falling asleep through the rest of the movie.

Unbeknownst to the sleeping couple, there was a small, floating figure outside Lucy's window. He silently chuckled to himself.

"The guild is going to love this!" it said to no one in particular before flying off in the middle of the night.

* * *

 **A/N #2:** _Another chapter to finally added! Again, I apologize for taking so long, but I'm really happy there are people who are bookmarking this and reading this. I am having so much fun writing these two. I swear they have taken the place of my other #1 OTP as I am not working on the fanfics I have going for my other OTP...I hope you all will enjoy this next installment, so stay tuned for the next chapter! Anyone want to take a guess at who the small floating figure was at the end of the chapter?_


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